The First Commandment.
Thou shalt have no other gods.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
The Second Commandment.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.
The Third Commandment.
Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day.
What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
The Small Catechism explains why people should not worship an institution, whether it is a synod or a congregation. Sometimes pastors feel defensive because they have dared to say their synod is less than perfect. They say or write, "I love the synod."
That is the problem. The synod is sinful, an organization full of sinful people. In light of history, a Lutheran sect in the Midwest is not the highpoint of Christianity, the culmination of all theology.
The solution cannot possibly be the synod or the synod president, if anyone takes the Scriptures and Confessions seriously. Looking at how people express themselves, I would say that few Lutherans believe in the efficacy of the Word. I just got an email about relationships and culture while I was starting this. Both of those terms, relationships and culture, are fine escape hatches for people who do not or cannot talk about God working through the Means of Grace.
If pastors trusted the Word, there would be dozens of blogs where people would be addressing doctrinal issues. Instead, they trust the warm womb of Holy Mother Synod to give them that long-awaited, coveted assignment - if they resist rocking the boat. Perhaps one day they may be able to second the motion to adjourn on the final day of the convention.
